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The Weird Science of Getting A Better Deal on Car-Rentals

The Wall Street Journal advises how to navigate the complex pricing schemes behind car rentals:

• Book Early and Often - Booking early and often is the key to saving money … Unlike airlines and hotels, rental-car firms don’t charge penalties for cancellations. As a result a good way to lock in the best deal is make a reservation early, whenever you spot a good price. Then, keep shopping around and if you see a better one, book it and cancel the first one.
• Play the Date Game - During most of the year, renting vans, pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles during the week can save money, since demand for large vehicles is higher during the weekend. Conversely, renting luxury cars such as Lincolns during weekends is cheaper because demand for those cars is higher when road warriors travel on weekdays. And like airline tickets, renting a car with a Saturday night included can save money. ..Sometimes, getting the best deal on a rental can seem counterintuitive. For instance, even if you only need a car for five days, it’s worth seeing if you can end up paying less if you take the weeklong rate.
• Use upgrades - Because many rental locations in business markets don’t have lots of small cars in their fleets, often they run out of smaller vehicles. Savvy travelers can take advantage of that by reserving a subcompact or compact car and then getting a free upgrade at the counter. Warning: This tactic is less likely to work in leisure markets, where smaller cars are more abundant.
• Get Out of the Airport - Whenever possible, try to rent from a shop that’s not on airport grounds. Renting at the airport is convenient for fliers but add-on fees can jack up a bill 12% or more.
• Think Small - Renting from smaller regional and local rental firms such as Advantage Rent-A-Car and Payless Car Rental can be cheaper than even the no-frills major companies such as Enterprise, Dollar and Alamo. The downside: Smaller players often don’t offer the premium services such as express lines and frequent-renter clubs. And local firms often don’t show up on major travel Web sites, except Orbitz.
• Start Online - Start the search online. Travel sites usually offer the broadest sampling of rates, as well as estimates of taxes and fees. With that knowledge in hand, call the rental companies to see if they will sweeten the pot. It’s always worth pushing for a deal if you spot a better price at a rival: Most companies will match it, in keeping with an industrywide push to turn telephone inquiries into sales.
• Grab the Extras - Frequent-renter programs are generally worth the time to sign up. They offer discounts and other incentives, including express lines, free upgrades and airline frequent-flyer miles. Sometimes you can get a membership for nothing: National Car Rental offers complimentary memberships to solve customer-service problems, or to people who simply ask for it. Hertz waives its $50 fee on its Gold Club for anyone renting four times a year.

Source: Edited down from Kortney Stringer’s article “The Weird Science of Getting A Better Deal on Car-Rentals” 12/30/03 The Wall St. Journal
WSJ.com - The Weird Science of Getting A Better Deal on Car-Rentals